Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN This funny design is a Haircape developed by Japanese brand Aimedia for haircut at home. The manufacturer assures that the cape makes it hard to splatter the hair by antistatic processing, while making the cleanup easy. Thanks to the adjustable tape the cape can be used by both children and adults, and its design allows it to be twisted and stored compactly. via core77.com

#BeOpenDESIGN Korean product designers Junyoung Jang and Joonhyeok Heo have teamed up to envision a mood lamp that is shaped like a bird. Aptly named Clippy, it features a clip that allows securing it to a desk or couch to adorn one’s home or cubicle. Renders show the product in various colour options informed by various bird species, from a canary o flamingo and penguin. The lamp is also easy to bring around since it’s just meant to be clipped to a surface and it needs nothing but batteries to function.

#BeOpenARCH Combining two artificial elements, a triangle and a circle, Shanghai-based UDG (Shanghai United Design Group Co., ltd.) has conceived Dysis Church of Poly Shallow Sea as a poetic expression of time, eternity and sanctity. Erected between the boundless sea and sky, the geometrical chapel comprises a rotating device that orients itself towards the position of the setting sun all year long. The base is circular, referencing ancient ritual places such as Stonehedge. The completeness and softness of the circle is broken by a sharp triangular form that, according to the team, symbolizes the yearning for establishing a relationship with the divine. More bespoke churches in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Part of a larger project that also includes a community center, and a square surrounded by greenery, the Holy Redeemer Church on Tenerife island, Spain, by local studio Menis Arquitectos takes shape as an uneven assemblage of large stone modules. Inspired by the geology of the volcanic island, the volumes are meticulously positioned to optimize the penetration of the natural light throughout the day. Daylight enters the space through narrow crevices enclosed by metal and glass between the massive shapes forming the building. At sunrise, sunlight forms a cross shape on the wall behind the altar turning the space into a symbolic cave. At noon, the altar, the confirmation, and the communion receive light through the skylight, while the confessional is lit by a shaft of light later in the evening. More use of light in church architecture in our blog

#BeOpenNEWS BE OPEN Art is happy to announce that Diana Pedott, an illustrator and concept artist based in Florianópolis, Brazil, has been voted the Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com Passionate with art as we are, every month we invite art enthusiasts to choose the best artist among those featured in our online gallery. In August, vivid digital illustrations by Diana Pedott have gained the young artist a majority of votes. We also take the opportunity to applaud all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted.

#BeOpenDESIGN An Adirondack chair is a simple outdoor lounging chair with an angled seat, a straight, angled back and wide armrests that has gained popularity thanks to its unparalleled ergonomics. Outdoor gear manufacturer BoteBoard has come up with a portable version of the famous design for its true fans. Humorously named AeroRondak Chair, the inflatable product offers all the comfort of the traditional seating but with its weight of just 16 pounds is light enough to be carried around.

#BeOpenDESIGN AuREUS system by engineering student Carvey Ehren Maigue is an innovative translucent covering for windows or facades that can generate clean energy from ultraviolet light. The system that is synthesized from upcycled crop waste harvests power even from invisible UV rays that are reflected from pavements or pass through clouds and converts it to clean renewable electricity, thus turning entire buildings into vertical solar farms. This year AuREUS (which got its name from the Aurora Borealis and is inspired by the physics that power the northern lights) was named the James Dyson Awards first-ever global sustainability winner. What picture represents a more sustainable world achievable with affordable and clean energy? Share your visuals with the global community joining our #BEOPENCleanEnergy Instagram open call and get a chance to win a €300 prize. Find details at beopensocial.com

#BeOpenARCH Bejing-based studio 3andwich Design has topped a library with a bowl-shaped pool overlooking the sea. Embedded into a cliff, the circular Water Drop Library in Shuangyue Bay, China, is comprised of a round reading room surrounding a central dark room. Integrated shelving is arranged in a ring along the internal wall and extends outward in the ceiling and ground areas to form a cloud-like shape, while full-height glazing gives views out across the sea. The rooftop pool is placed directly above the library to create the idea of the space being underwater. The library is accessed via a tortuous path on the north slope of the hill.

#BeOpenARCH Italian architect Wafai has conceptualized a residential project that recalls the organic form of a shell found in nature. The speculative Scandinavian Seashell House is driven by the desire for a small footprint and seeks to promote an environmental and sustainable approach toward housing. This is brought to life through the integration of such passive features as passive cooling, natural sunlight penetration, and recycled, reused materials. The architect envisions the house to be fabricated with a structural system of glulam timber frames filled with natural straw insulation and clad with recycled found wood, which provides each wooden shingle with a unique shade. More seashell-like architecture in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Inspired by Californian Sequoias, Indian architect and designer Manas Bhatia utilized the artificial intelligence tool Midjourney to develop Symbiotic Architecture, a project that imagines a towering apartment complex growing within a series of redwood trees. Bhatia fed AI a series of text-based prompts, which included words like “hollowed,” “trees” and “stairs.” The generated imagery was then iterated and altered in an ongoing process. The result shows hollowed-out trees transformed into functional architecture, with ‘living’ apartments facing inwards and natural lighting sweeping in to create a surreal utopian dwelling devoid of steel.